President Barack Obama is using the power of the Internal Revenue Service to intimidate Americans into signing up for his failing health care insurance scheme by directing intimidating letters to citizens who have chosen to pay the penalty rather than sign up for his “health insurance.”

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The letters are set to go out beginning next week, and are aimed at Americans who are paying the tax penalty rather than obtaining health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. The IRS says the 2010 law requires it to inform those individuals they could do better by signing up for the embattled program.

“In keeping with our commitment to taxpayer confidentiality, we will send the letters directly to taxpayers; under no circumstances will we share the identities of these taxpayers or any other protected taxpayer information with CMS or with any other entity,” IRS Commissioner John G. Koskinen told Congress on Oct. 31, in documents obtained by The Washington Times.

But congressional Republicans, already intent on repealing the health law, say tapping the IRS to boost Obamacare is dangerous, and risks disclosure of taxpayers’ secret information to others in the government.

Millions of Americans will be greeted this holiday season by ominous warning letters from the nation’s tax collectors demanding payment to prop up Obamacare.

It will send notices to 800,000 filers between Nov. 28 and Dec. 5 — ahead of the Dec. 15 deadline to buy a plan in time to be covered by Jan. 1. An additional 6.7 million Obamacare holdouts will see an IRS notice in January as the administration makes a last-ditch plea for sign-ups ahead of the final Jan. 31 deadline.

This IRS shakedown on behalf of Obamacare may only have a limited shelf life.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Majority Whip Steve Scalise and Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady, Texas Republican, objected to the letter campaign earlier this year, saying the IRS’ decision to collaborate with a health care agency was an improper use of its resources and amounted to harassment of taxpayers.

In addition, the use of the IRS to harass citizens brings up an interesting point regarding information sharing among federal agencies.

Rep. Steve King, Iowa Republican, said if the IRS is willing to collaborate with health agencies, it should also work with the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration more to root out illegal immigrants.